Proms are Stupid
by Jmags-WriterofAwesomeness
Summary: A take on Cabbie in Prom Wrecker. Robbie is devastated after a horrific prom night, but feels even worse after upsetting a certain person. Finding out Tug is actually real doesn't help much either. Story is better than summary! Rated T just in case.
1. Hope, disappointment, then suspicion

_Yay, my second Cabbie story! I just can't get enough of this couple for some reason! XD Actually, I put a poll on the Victorious wiki (my member name is Jjmags1611, if you didn't know that already) and asked people to name a pairing and an episode they wanted me to base a story around. Then, I created a poll of all the ideas and let them decide, and this one got the most votes! I will probably be updating this story more often than my other one that is currently in-progress (Trapped: Dazed and Confused) because for that story I currently have writer's block and I have no idea where I'm going with it yet. But don't worry, I'll figure it out soon- at least after school ends!_

_So basically, this chapter is about when Robbie asks Cat to prome with a few added scenes and their thoughts (and maybe the other character's thoughts) on the whole thing. It may sound like I'm basically regurgitating the plot in your face again, but trust me; it will get better as the story goes on! Hope you'll enjoy it!_

_Peace, love, and Cabbie 3_

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"Man, dude, why are you doing this? You're just going to screw it up, as usual!"

Robbie sighed at the puppet's rude comments. Sometimes, he wished Rex would bring him up for once instead of putting him down constantly. "Hush, Rex."

"And why are you asking her, anyway? Look at her! She's a red-headed basket case waiting to explode in a fit of craziness of huge proportions!"

Robbie's anger finally got the best of him and he glared into Rex's unblinking eyes. "I don't care what you say about her. I'm still asking her and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Oh, really?" Rex said snidely. Robbie gave him the evil eye and he backed down. "Okay Rob, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thanks," Robbie said half sarcastically. He really wasn't in too good of a mood today. Rex would not stop insulting him! What is he, his little punching bag or something? Sometimes, he wonders why they are still even friends.

Not only was he in a bad mood, but he has had butterflies in his stomach all day, especially whenever he saw a flash of bright red hair in the crowded hallways of Hollywood Arts. There was something about her that always made Robbie's heart beat ten times faster whenever he saw her. Maybe it was her chocolate brown eyes that always stared deeply into his with sympathy every time he was put down by others. Maybe it was her laugh, ringing like wind chimes whenever she tells a wacky story about her brother. Maybe it was the tingles of electricity that traveled through him at the speed of light every time they made physical contact. Whatever it was, it was making him realize a few things- Cat is a very special girl, and he may not be able to stop himself for falling for her even if he tried.

He really wants to go to a "school gathering," as he called them, and prome was the perfect place to start. He always avoided these kinds of things because he was afraid of people teasing him and Rex. At least Rex could stand up for himself- Robbie just recoiled back and hid, like a mouse crawling back into its hole. It was humiliating, and he wanted it to stop; the sooner, the better, he told himself. And by asking Cat to prome, he just might be able to redeem himself and show people that he is not as much of a wimp as he seems.

After first period, Robbie hid behind the staircase for a couple of minutes (with Rex, of course, for backup) and waited until he saw Cat walking by with a stuffed giraffe. He crinkled his nose in confusion at the sight of Cat's new friend but quickly shrugged it off.

"Cat… Hey, Cat?" he said, trotting down the stairs and gently tapping her on the shoulder.

Cat turned around and her face immediately brightened. "Oh hey!" she said cheerfully. Her dimples were clearly visible because of the huge smile on her face. Robbie wondered if Cat had gotten them because of her never-changing happy mood.

"Well uh… I don't know if you have a…" Robbie stuttered, suddenly too nervous and tongue-tied to spit the words out of his mouth. He made a frustrated noise, smacking himself mentally in the head for sounding like such an idiot.

His mental blank was soon alleviated by the sound of a mechanical stuffed animal and Cat's high-pitched laugh. "Did you hear what my giraffe just said?" she said, still giggling madly. "He's so inappropriate!" She loved making believe animals could talk to her- sometimes, she thought, they make better friends than humans because they're so fuzzy and cute!

Robbie stared at her, utterly confused, but somehow it made him relax a little more. He laughed awkwardly, trying to get back on task. "Uh… well… I don't know if maybe, you know… you want to go to the prome with me?" he finally got out. He felt proud for finally saying it at first, but then Rex's snicker made him would nervous. "Would you?"

Cat looked at him closely. She could see how desperate he was- the poor boy's eyes were lit up like it was Christmas morning and he was hoping for the one thing he really wanted. In this case, it was a date to the prome.

Cat immediately felt bad that she would have to turn him down. He was such a nice guy- he was always so understanding of her problems and was always there when she needed him to be, and she would go to the prome with him… had she not have been asked already. "Oh Robbie, I'd love to go to the prome with you, but…" Robbie's expression lit up for a brief second and Cat's heart broke just a little bit more from the hope seeping out of him, knowing that it would soon come crashing down. "Another boy already asked me."

She started to walk away, hoping that he wouldn't follow her, but to no avail. "Really? Who?" he asked with a twinge of disappointment.

She paused for a second. "Tug."

Robbie squinted his eyes in confusion, immediately noticing how unusual the name sounded. "Tug?"

"Yeah, he goes to Burbank High," Cat said, looking away briefly to recollect her thoughts. She saw a guy twirling a baton on the staircase- he threw it so high! Before she got too distracted, she remembered what she was talking about. "He's… a football player."

"You've never mentioned Tug before…" Robbie said. He couldn't tell if Cat was telling the truth or not, but then he decided against it. Cat was too loyal and considerate to lie to people… wasn't she?

"I know, I… just met him at the mall." Cat says, once again getting distracted by the pink sparkly baton floating in the air. "He works at Bed, Bath, and Yonder."

Robbie nodded and let the rejection sink in. He cursed himself for not asking her soon enough.

"Thanks for asking me, though."

"Thanks for… responding," he said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. Cat pursed her lips into a tight frown and slowly walked away. She wasn't happy that she had made Robbie sad… but then again, Tug was a good guy. She went to her next class, preoccupied and unsure of what to think of the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Robbie took a seat on the stairs, not caring if he was a little late for class. Computer Science was his best class, and he was basically the teacher's pet. Surely she wouldn't care if he was just a few minutes late. "I wish I had asked her before Tug did," he said bitterly.

"Dude, you've been lied to! Cat doesn't have a date to the prome!"

Robbie jumped at the sound of Rex's exclamation. "She said she does," he said, not getting at where Rex was going with this. Then again, he never got Rex's "cool-guy logic." At least he didn't call her a basket case like he usually did.

"Man, no one's named Tug!" Rex said. "And what football player works at Bed, Bath, and Yonder selling pillow cases and fruit soaps?"

_It's possible, _Robbie thought, at first in denial. He bought scented candles there for his room all the time because he liked the smell of strawberries (it reminded him of Cat, of course). Plus, the shampoo and conditioner there was really high quality! It gave his hair more volume and defined the curliness of his black hair.

Realizing how gay he sounded, Robbie decided that Rex was right. "She lied to me! That little…"

"Say it," Rex egged him on, obviously enjoying his rage.

"That little…!"

"Say it!"

"Fibber!" Robbie shouted. He stood up abruptly and squeezed his fists, trying to control the hurt he was feeling. He never thought that Cat was a liar, and it distressed him to think that she would lie in front of his face, considering how good of friends they are.

"Ooh, that is some manly rage," Rex said with satisfaction.

Robbie just shook his head sadly and headed to his next class. Well, there was one way to find out if Cat was really lying or not… He'd just have to rough prome himself. He cringed at the very thought of it, but in his mind, it had to be done; he wasn't going down without a fight.

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_I know, this is a lot shorter than I usually write, but there's plenty of detail and surprises to come in the following chapters! First person to review will get a shout-out :)  
_


	2. The first encounter

_Hahaha, I hope you guys didn't assume that this was just a one-shot… because it isn't! I don't know how long it's gonna be yet (maybe about 5-6 chapters, a little longer than my last Cabbie story)but I can't wait to write the rest of it and see where it goes! Shout-out goes to Romp09 for reviewing first! I don't think she has an account on here (because I can't click on her avatar name) but I know her (or him) from the Victorious wiki and this user's a HUGE cabbie lover like me! So in theory, all fellow cabbie lovers should read this story. Spread the word, everyone! :D_

_So here's my take on the first time Robbie encounters Cat about her "lies." Lee y disfruta, por favor! Hahaha, isn't random Spanish fun? XD_

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Finally, the day of the first ever Hollywood Arts prome came around. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. Tori had really done a good job planning it! Cat was having a blast mingling with other people while her date was… M.I.A. at the moment. Tug had worn his top hat that spins and lights up to the prome because he knew that Cat had liked it when they went on their first date. Unfortunately, she liked it so much that when the batteries died, she started crying. He offered to go across the street to buy new batteries, and Cat instantly cheered up. Colorful hats are so fun!

Meanwhile, Robbie was just walking around aimlessly and trying to avoid everyone that walked by him. They didn't even say hi to him or anything- they just stared at him and Rex with their noses crinkled and their eyebrows scrunched in confusion, probably thinking _What the hell is he doing here? He doesn't even have a date! _Well, so much for the "reinventing Robbie's image" plan. He might as well go home and brand an "L" on his forehead because that's what people thought he was- a loser. He contemplated going home and forgetting about the whole thing, but he decided against it as he saw Cat standing underneath the balcony, giggling and playing with her hair- alone. Now would be the perfect time to bust her and get her to admit that everything she told him yesterday was a big fat lie.

"Well, hey there _Cat_," he said, walking and stopping only a few feet in front of her.

"Hi!" Cat said cheerily, glad to see that Robbie was here and wasn't still upset with her. She hated to see him sad, especially when it was her fault. But now they can all have fun together! Yay!

"So where's your date? _Tug?_" he said accusingly, hoping to get some answers out of her. Cat was confused. Why did he keep emphasizing people's names? Is that the new trend nowadays? She wasn't sure.

"Oh!" she exclaims, remembering where Tug had gone and plays with her hair some more. "See, well he wore this cool hat that spins and lights up, but the batteries died so he had to go across the street to get new ones."

Robbie was disgusted. _A spinning hat? Really Cat? Am I that much of an idiot to you? _ "Oh, of course!" he said sarcastically.

Cat finally caught onto Robbie's biting sarcasm and instantly became confused. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm sure that's _true._"

Cat stared at him, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. Why was he being so mean to her? "It is true!"

"Come on Rob! Let's move along," Rex ordered.

"Yeah." Robbie nodded in agreement. "It's getting a little too… _fibby _in here," he said, getting close to her face as she said that.

Cat saw the hurt dancing in his eyes as his minty breath caressed her face, and she watched him as he walked away. She thought about what she did wrong- Yes, she did turn down Robbie for another guy… But why was that her fault? It's not wrong for a girl to like a guy who's nice and take bubble baths with lavender-smelling bath salts! And why would Robbie think she was lying? Ooh, sparkly disco ball!

She stopped looking at Robbie and stared at the disco ball instead, wondering if people could see her small, pink reflection in the shiny mirrors.

Robbie had felt Cat's eyes on his back as he first walked away; but when he looked back two seconds later, she was staring off into the distance. Robbie was crushed; she had already forgotten about him. Oh wait, Tori's stepping up to the microphone. Everyone cheered as she talked about the rest of the plans for the evening- voting for prome king and queen, live bands, slow dances… Ugh, he didn't even want to think about the last one. There was only one person he wanted to dance with, and no way was she going to dance with him considering she already had a date- an imaginary date, that is.

Robbie felt nauseous thinking about all of this. Or maybe it was because of all the brownies he had eaten while drowning his sorrows in sugar- frankly, he couldn't tell why he was feeling sick. He ran to the bathroom, hoping he would feel better enough in time to plan his next attack- to catch Cat Valentine off guard, even though he had failed to do so the first time.

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_Wow, sorry guys, this is probably the shortest chapter I've written so far on Fanfiction. In my defense, they didn't really give me a lot to work with… Oh well, hopefully it made you look forward to the next chapter a little more at least! I'll give a virtual high-five to anyone who gives me reviews! :D_

_Ugh, gotta go practice my social studies presentation for tomorrow. My teacher's a total asshole- he told me I'd be presenting after school tomorrow (with only him as an audience) but now I have to present in front of my ENTIRE class. And I get nervous really easily! X( FML. Well, that's enough complaining. Hope you're enjoying the story so far!_


	3. Second time's a charm

_Hola peoples! Thanks for reading this story so far! Since I feel like I keep repeating myself all the time with this stuff, I'll make this short and sweet- This will be the last chapter that the scenes actually come from the episode itself. The next couple of chapters will consist of scenes I made up myself So don't worry, I will become more creative soon! Lol_

_Also, have you guys seen all the shipwarring going on between Bade and Bori? I swear it's getting out of control! I try to stay out of it myself, but people seem to forget that Victorious is just a TV show and it's not the end of the world if their OTP doesn't end up happening XP Oh well, guess I'll have to deal with it since I'm part of the Victorious wiki._

**Disclaimer: I state that I, Jessica Sugar Junkie Einstein, do not own Victorious. It is the rightful property of Dan Schneider and I have no intentions whatsoever of taking that away from him. Except maybe on a Tuesday, I'll think about it… but that's beside the point!**

A half hour later, Robbie emerged from the boy's bathroom. He still felt a little shaky (probably from all the butterflies flying around in his stomach) but he wasn't nauseous anymore. However, he put Rex in his locker since Rex had told him that another "prom bomb" had gone off in his head. Robbie sighed and shook his head when he told him that; after the Northridge prom, Robbie had found a bottle of vodka in his bed. He had no idea where it came from, and he certainly didn't grab it himself, so he figured it must have been Rex. He was starting to worry about him- first the insults, now the drinking; what else would come next? Drug deals? At least he had his uncle's old handcuffs if Rex ever got out of hand again.

He shrugged it off and walked to the corner of the dance floor. Well as long as he's here and a good song is on, he might as well enjoy himself while he can. He started doing a little dance, enjoying the beat pumping through his body- although the music was a little loud. Robbie wished they would turn on the Spice Girls, but they were so outdated by now that he doubted he would ever hear a song by them ever again. So he kept on dancing… alone in a corner… by himself… depressing, right? But he won't be alone for long.

Suddenly, people started to move away from the center. Why, you may ask? Because a grown man in a diaper had just pushed through the sea of gyrating people and started dancing like no one was watching. People stared in horror at the man's way-too-big belly and his floppy white diaper. Not something you'd expect at a "prome," I must say.

The only person that seemed to be enjoying the chubby man's unexpected appearance was Cat. She was laughing and pointing Doug out to people. "Hahaha, he's like a man baby!" she squeals, clearly amused by the spectacle going on right in front of her. "Who changes him?"

She was enjoying it so much that she didn't see Robbie approaching her from her left. "Well, hiya Cat!" Robbie greets her with his hands in his pockets, purposefully lengthening the word "well" as he talked. He didn't know why he did it; he just thought it would sound better if he said it that way.

Cat, still thinking about the half-naked man on the dance floor, giggles softly and pushes the hair out of her eyes. Robbie can't help but think about how amazing her eyes look in the colored lights. So brown and glittery and innocent… he snapped himself out of it in a split second; he had to focus. He's playing a character- snarky, witty, bitter- everything he's not, but he keeps up the act anyway. "Weird, I don't see your 'date' anywhere," he comments, using his fingers to put imaginary quotes around "date." "Where is Tug?"

"Well, he was standing next to a candle and… his jacket caught on fire." She knew she took too long to answer him, but look at Doug- he's just so naked! Cat wondered how a grown man could have the dignity to dress up in a diaper and entertain at parties. She laughed and played with her hair nervously- it just wouldn't stay out of her face!

However, Robbie could see right through her façade. The nervous, shaky laugh, the constant hair-flipping, the pauses in between her words, why she wouldn't make direct eye contact with him… she has been faking this thing all along!

His act crumbled underneath the hurt in his chest and his tone suddenly changed from biting to just plain angry. He couldn't help himself- he just lost it then and there. "Yeah, you see how one LIE leads to another?"

Now it was Cat's turn to look hurt. "I'm not lying!" she cried. How could Robbie be so mean to her?

"Look, if you didn't want to go to this prome with me, you could've just said so."

Ohhh, so that's why he was so upset! He thought she had made someone up just so she wouldn't go with him. Poor thing. Cat tried to reassure him. "It's not that I didn't want to go with you-"

"You didn't have to make up lies about some football player named Tug with a spinning hat and a jacket that caught on fire!" he interrupted her loudly, causing her to jump from the harshness of his words.

"But I'm not lying!" she whimpered again, tears pricking at her eyes.

"Good night, Cat."

"But Robbie!"

"I said goodnight!" And with that, Robbie just stormed away and didn't look back- he couldn't bear to look back, he was so angry. Not only was he angry at Cat, but he was angry at himself for screwing this whole thing up. Wasn't prom ("prome", in Hollywood Arts speak) supposed to be the best night of your life? Not by a long shot.

"Proms are stupid," he muttered angrily as he kept walking. He didn't know where he was going, but he sure as hell didn't want to be here right now. He just wanted this nightmare to go away.

Robbie was a little foolish not to look behind him because if he did, he would've seen a teary-eyed Cat and a tall, burly guy in a grey suit and a matching top hat heading towards Cat. He was coughing and wheezing as he was trying to get the smoke out of his system and off his jacket as well.

Cat didn't see Tug come up behind her at first. She was too busy staring at Robbie as he had stormed away, muttering to himself in a crazy sort of fashion. She didn't mean to hurt him! She felt like everything was her fault. How could she hurt such a sweet guy without knowing it? It was unfathomable to her tiny heart that only knew the language of kindness and love. Basically, in lack of better terms, she felt like a gank.

But when the coughing noises came closer, Cat turned and saw the sight of Tug's smoking jacket and his bright red face. "I think I put my jacket out!" he said brightly.

"Oh Tug… it's all burned," Cat said sadly, moving her index finger so it stroked one of the crisp edges on a gash in Tug's jacket. _Ouch! _She pulled it away quickly. _His jacket is still really hot!_

"It's okay." Tug smiled, and Cat just wanted to pinch his baby-faced cheeks because he was just too cute. "If anyone looks at my jacket, I'll just do this!"

He reached into his pocket and pressed a button of some sort, and his hat lit up and began to play music. Cat laughed and leaned on his shoulder; he always knew how to make her feel better! After a while, she soon forgot about poor, broken-hearted Robbie as she and Tug occupied themselves by watching Doug "do his thang" on the dance floor.

_Hahaha, wouldn't I be a cruel person if I just ended the story there? I was so tempted to do that! But I didn't :P Because first of all, I'm too nice of a person to do that to you fellow Cabbie lovers; second of all, I have great ideas for the rest of the story (can't wait to write about them!); and thirdly, I believe in happy endings! Oops, I just gave it away! Or did I? You'll have to find out for yourselves! *laughs evily*_

_Please review, review, review! I 3 reviews! And if you haven't guessed by now… yeah, I'm pretty weird. But you know what? You'll just have to deal with it because you're stuck with me ;)_


	4. Three strikes and you look like an idiot

_Wow, this story has the most reviews out of all three of my stories to date! Thanks everyone! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far :). If you really like Cabbie as well as this story, my other one is called __**A New Hope, A New Dream, A New Future**__, and that was probably my favorite one to write._

_Now here's where the guessing comes in-Where do you think I'm gonna go in this story? Well I guess you'll have to find out for yourselves ;) It feels good to be in charge of my stories cuz I always like to keep people guessing. Read and enjoy! And love your Cabbie just as much as I do X3_

Robbie laid on the hood of his car, trying to figure out what to do next. Half of his mind was contemplating the stars in the clear night sky and half of him was someplace far, far away. The lack of noise and the calmness of the night usually helped him to think a little bit, but this time he was so burdened with everything that was going on at the moment that it was impossible for him to think clearly.

A part of him was still angry at Cat. _She caused all of this! _he thought. _All she had to do is tell me the truth and we wouldn't be in this mess. _He had tried so hard to be the person he thought Cat wanted from a friend- the listener, the shoulder to cry on, the guy who always put up with Cat's random outbursts even though sometimes they made him want to cry out in frustration. But for some reason, that didn't work. He wished he could read girl's minds so he could know instantly what they wanted from a guy- it would make his life so much easier.

However, a part of him was also starting to feel bad. Cat was such a fragile, sensitive, sweet human being- she didn't have a mean bone in her body. What did she ever do to him? Oh, that's right- nothing. Except lie to him about Tug. He pushed that thought aside because of the small chance that he actually might exist. Most of his anger stemmed from his jealousy, and he was the only one to blame for that.

He had always thought of Cat as a friend- a good friend, in fact. But ever since they kissed that one fateful day, something had changed inside of him. Every time he saw her kissing Daniel (while they were dating- it's been six months since they broke up- not that he was counting or anything…), a knot formed in the pit of his stomach, refusing to loosen until he turned his back on the happy couple and walked away. Every time his phone buzzed, he jumped in surprise and hoped that it was Cat (most of the time it wasn't, though- just his crazy Mamaw trying to survive the ever-changing world). He had even started having dreams about her (at least once a week) - and some of them were X-rated. Pretty serious stuff.

He didn't know if it was just a crush or if he loved her. In fact, he still doesn't know; his mind is too weak to make sense of all of these strong emotions crashing around inside of him. He closed his eyes and pictured himself floating among the stars, gaping in awe at their beauty, their brightness, their-

"Robbie!" someone shouted next to him.

"Aaaahh!" Robbie jolted out of his happy place, rolled off the hood, and fell onto the asphalt in front of the person's feet.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Tori apologized as she helped Robbie up. "I didn't mean to startle you!"

"Why are you here?" Robbie asked. He was genuinely curious. No one cared about him… right?

"Everyone's worried about you, Robbie," Tori said, teetering a little bit in her high black heels. "Did something happen between you and Cat? She looked awful upset the last time I saw her."

I sighed. "Sorry, Tori, but this is between me and Cat this time. I made the mistake, so I have to be the one to make everything right again."

She smiled. "Good for you." She looked up at the stars, the same thing he was doing just moments before he was shocked back into reality. "I can understand why you came out here. It's getting pretty crazy in there. Running a prome isn't easy, you know."

"Don't worry, you're doing a great job," Robbie says, awkwardly patting her shoulder in reassurance. "Everything looks fantastic."

"Thanks. Feel better soon, okay? We don't want you getting too lonely out here," she chuckled. She gave me a small hug and looked into my eyes. "And good luck with Cat. She should be lucky to have a friend that cares so much about her."

_Oh, great. She knows, doesn't she? _"Wait, how did you…"

"Bye Robbie." She winked at him and walked away, still wobbling in her high heels as she walked. Robbie could see how exhausted she was. This prome was taking a lot out of her. And the poor girl didn't even have time to get a date! Not only was she pretty, but she was smart, too. Damn. Tori's just one of those fortunate girls that has it all- no wonder all the guys fawn over her all the time. Good for her.

Robbie took a deep breath and walked back into the Asphalt Café. The guests must be getting exhausted because there were less people dancing and more people eating and sitting since the last time he was here.

He scanned the area for Cat, and sure enough he spotted her sitting at a table for two… alone. She was looking down at the table and fiddling with her fingers. Tori was right… she did look kind of down, and he was pretty sure it was because of him.

His guilt was starting to eat up his conscience as he just stared at her. Even when she was sad, she still looked pretty. Her pink dress sparkled in the stage lights, bringing out the red in her hair beautifully.

He gulped nervously and walked across the dance floor (thankfully, he didn't get trampled this time) to Cat's table. He sat down next to her and waited patiently for her to acknowledge him. To his surprise, she didn't. She didn't even notice that there was something next to her. She was just concentrating on her fingers like there was some supernatural force making them move like that.

"Hey Cat," he said quietly, trying not to disturb her too much.

Without looking up, she said "Hey" softly. Her fingers moved faster and faster, and then she stopped. "Yay! My fingers feel all tingly now! Feel them, Robbie!"

Robbie was stunned; he didn't know what to do next. Shouldn't Cat still be made at him? He slowly traced his index fingers around her palms, making her giggle. "That tickles!"

Robbie smiled, glad to see that she was happy again, but then she remembered. "Oh, right, I'm supposed to be mad at you." She crossed her arms and pouted at him, her lips twitching as she tried not to grin back at him.

Robbie ran his fingers across the table, as if his hand was begging him to hold Rex again. "Look… I'm sorry. For everything."

Cat's face relaxed a little and her eyes begged him to go on. "I… I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just hurt and embarrassed because you didn't want to go with me."

He put a hand on top of one of hers. "Will you forgive me? For being such a grunge all night?"

Her eyes lit up and she giggled. "Okay!" Then her eyes clouded over again. "But I didn't lie to you. Tug is real!"

"Oh yeah? And where is he now?" Robbie questioned. "Why is he never here when I'm around?"

Cat gasped. "Ooh, I know!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly. "Maybe he's a mind reader and sensed that you were here! And maybe he's doing everything he can to avoid you because he thinks you're spying on him. One time, I went to see a movie about kid spies, and they saved their parents from giant fingers trying to eat them."

"Uh, Cat?" he said, standing up to join her. "That didn't make any sense at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she cried.

"What do spies have to do with Tug being real?"

"You didn't ask if he was real or not, which he is! You asked why he was never around me when you're around!"

"Just admit that Tug isn't real and this whole thing will be over!"

"But he IS real!" Cat shouted.

"Cat, I'm going to give you one more chance," Robbie said in a low, stern voice. He put his hands on his shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Tell. Me. The Truth."

Cat looked back and got lost in his ocean-colored eyes. "I… I-"

"Cat!"

Cat broke away from Robbie's stare and saw Tug walking towards her with two glasses of fruit punch in his hands. Robbie's mouth dropped open. No way. _This can't be happening…_

"Hi Tug!" she squealed, running to him and kissing him on the cheek. She took a glass from his hands and dragged him over to where Robbie was standing, frozen in shock. "Come meet my friend!"

Tug smirked. "Which one? The nerd in the glasses or the curly-haired guy dance-daring behind him?"

Robbie turned around and saw Sinjin kneeling on the ground behind him. "My, this is good asphalt," Sinjin murmured, stroking it gently. "I wonder what kind it is…"

"Tug!" Cat cried, smacking him on the arm. "This is Robbie, the guy I've been telling you about!"

Tug looked confused for a second, and then he realized who he had mistakenly insulted. "Oh geez man, I'm sorry! Force of habit. A friend of Cat is a friend of mine!" Tug reached out his hand and Robbie slowly reached out to grab it. "I'm Tug; it's nice to meetcha!" he said, flailing Robbie's arm around like it was a piece of spaghetti.

"Um… hi." Robbie said, quickly pulling his hand away and into his pants pocket. _He's real _chanted in his head. _Tug is real. Oh man, I screwed up big time. Cat will never forgive me now._

"Hey babe, I'm gonna hang with some of the guys for a little bit. You wanna come join us?"

Cat's smile dropped off of her face. "Maybe later." She looked pointedly at me. "I have some business to take care of first."

"Okay, it was nice meeting you Robbie! See you around!" he called, walking towards a table where a bunch of big, bulky guys sat fooling around and guzzling down huge plates of food.

Robbie looked at Cat's face, and it was hard to see what was going on in her mind. The expression on her petite little face was a mixture of hurt, anger, despair, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. His eyes widened with fear- he was in big trouble now.

He felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Scratch that- he was the biggest jerk alive. He had wrongly accused this bundle of kindness of lying and had yelled at her for no reason other to make feel absolutely horrible. He probably just ruined her prome as well. "Cat, I…" He stumbled upon words to say. However, none came out.

"I think you should go now, Robbie," Cat whispered, looking down at the floor. He could see drops of water appearing by her feet, signaling her silent crying. It was the most heartbreaking thing he had ever seen.

Tears pooled in his eyes as well. He felt completely helpless; anything he could say would make the situation worse. It would be better if he just left and they didn't talk for a while. Weeks, months… he didn't know how long it would take for Cat to get over it. He just hoped she would forgive him soon… if ever.

"Bye Cat." And with that, he put his head down in shame and slowly walked away. He had probably just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.

_Whoa, pretty intense, huh? I know! Don't worry, I'm just getting started! Will Cat ever forgive Robbie? I'm curious to find out as well! XD I will respond to everyone that reviews this chapter the next time I post an update!_

_By the way, spitting a random question out of the blue here… Has anyone seen the movie Dark Shadows yet? I'm seeing that movie with a friend tomorrow. Is it supposed to be good? It looks really funny!_

_I gotta get some sleep now. Buenas noches! :D_


	5. Heartbreak and a second chance

_I'm baaaack! A word of advice: Don't go see Dark Shadows like I did. It's a TERRIBLE movie. The plot had barely any substance to it, the antagonist basically tries to kill everyone Johnny Depp's character loves only because he didn't love her back, and the end is just plain disturbing. End of story._

_Okay, so let me clarify a bit here before I continue: Tori performed her song before Robbie found out Tug was real. So this chapter will take place right after Cat told Robbie to leave. Everyone clear on that? Good. Happy reading!_

**CatRobbie: I guess you'll have to see for yourself, I can't tell you that, of course ;) That would ruin the whole point of writing the story lol.**

**Romp09: I don't know where I got the Sinjin part from, actually. It just came into my head and I just put it in the story. Glad you found it funny! I did too :D**

**Binnie-Bunny: Don't worry, I am! Once summer comes I'll be writing up a storm!**

**CabbbieLOVER123SC: The Spy Kids reference was also very random. I haven't watched it in forever either, so I have no idea where it came from! Brilliant ideas just come randomly to me, I guess lol. And thanks!**

**SeleStarz: Aw, that's a huge compliment (in my eyes, anyway) Thanks so much! And we'll see if Cat forgive Robbie or not :)**

**JeremyShane: Thanks!**

**Curly1221: Well you'll find out now! And thanks for reviewing all my stories, by the way. It means a lot X3**

* * *

Robbie quickly walked back into the school and headed to his locker to get Rex. He was going home. All he wanted to do was forget the whole thing with Cat and wait until she forgot about it, too. He knows Cat doesn't stay mad at people for long. Look at how fast she forgave Tori for kissing Daniel and spraying hot cheese all over them! Even though the situation was bad enough as it was, she can't stay mad at it for long. That's not how Cat Valentine works… right?

Yeah. That's what he would do; he would wait it out. But how long would that take? Weeks? Months? A year? He didn't want to go that long without speaking to Cat. He depended on her compassion too much to do that.

It's no secret that Robbie is a very insecure boy. His parents gave him Rex when he was in kindergarten because he complained about not having friends, even though he didn't even try to talk to people. He was scared. He doesn't like looking stupid in front of people, so the puppet eventually became a part of him.

Rex is everything that Robbie wanted to be himself: charming, witty, smooth… everything Robbie isn't. And that's why Robbie felt like he needed him around so much. Add the two sides together and you get a personality that has it all.

But lately, Robbie felt like he was starting to depend on Cat more than Rex nowadays. She was the only one that was ever nice to him no matter what. Rex, on the other hand, only insulted him 24/7. He brought him down instead of bringing him up, and it was starting to piss Robbie off. He was thinking of getting rid of him a couple of days ago. But now that Cat may never forgive him, he decided against it. Rex may not need him, wimpy Robbie Shapiro, but Robbie Shapiro sure as hell needed Rex. He just didn't want to admit it to himself- until now.

"Man, why did you put me in that janked-up locker? It smells like moth balls in there! What did you do, spray 'Ode de Mamaw' in that thing?" Rex whined as Robbie picked him up.

"No."

"Come on! Now that I'm out of there, let's go party, meet some slamming hot girls, and get wasted!"

"First of all, there's no alcohol here, Rex. Secondly, you have an unhealthy addiction to that stuff. And thirdly, we're going home."

"You wimp! You afraid of a little party? You afraid of big, colorful balloons and girls with blistering hot bodies? You should just be shipped off to Siberia to live alone if you can't handle all that awesomeness!"

Now this set Robbie over the edge. "Why you little-"

"Yo Shapiro!"

Robbie gave a little yelp and slammed his locker door shut in surprise. He thought he was the only person in the school instead of the Asphalt Café.

"Where are you going? Did poor little Robbie get rejected by all of mankind?" the girl cooed. An evil smirk appeared on her face, and she crossed her arms as she stopped in front of him.

"I'm not in the mood, Jade. Go pick on someone else. I'm not your punching bag tonight." Robbie sighed and waited for Rex to chime in. Surprisingly enough, he kept his mouth shut.

"Relax, I'm not here to make fun of you," Jade said.

Robbie gave her a puzzled look. "Then why are you here?"

Jade grimaced. "I'm… helping you." She could barely get the words outing before pretending to gag dramatically.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything but… why?"

"Beck said that we couldn't have sex unless I helped someone while he was in Canada," Jade said bluntly. "So here I am."

"Um… okay."

Jade stood there in silence, looking at her nails. Robbie whistled uncomfortably for a minute before saying "So… how are you going to help me? If you even know what you're helping me with."

Jade looked up. "Oh… right, I was talking to someone."

Robbie rolled his eyes. This was getting them nowhere.

"I know you like Cat."

Oh great. Was it that obvious? "How did you know?"

"Everyone knows, stupid," Jade said. "Every time we look over at you, you're either arguing with Rex or staring at Cat with drool coming out of your mouth. The only one who doesn't know is Cat herself."

Jade paused. "Then again, she doesn't notice a lot of things… Whatever. Look, you want my help or not? Take it or leave it."

"Um… Sure?" Robbie said, having no idea what plan she would possibly conjure up. She's Jade West, for goodness' sakes. For all he knew she could be a secret assassin planning to kill everyone at Hollywood Arts- that's how evil he thought she was.

Jade casually leaned against the lockers. "Last time I saw Cat, she was arguing with Tug. I don't know what it was about, but it's not her fault. That guy's bad news."

Robbie knew there was something bad about that guy (then again, he thinks that about every other guy Cat is attracted to). He just didn't know what it was. Well, he may find out for himself soon.

"So what do you want me to do about it? Cat hates me right now."

"It's not going to be long before he dumps her. I was originally planning to comfort her first, but since Sinjin told me about your little spat-"

"Sinjin?" Robbie asked, incredibly confused.

"Yeah, don't ask." Jade paced around him like she was closing in on her prey. "So when Tug dumps her, which he will, you go console her. That way, she'll be grateful that someone came to help her and she will forgive you like that." Jade snapped her fingers in his face and Robbie flinched. "Are you in? Or are you going to let the love of your life's night get ruined?" she said darkly, hoping that he would say yes. No matter how mean she was to Cat, she was still her best friend, and she didn't want to see Cat get hurt yet again.

Robbie thought about it. Jade did make sense. No matter how twisted her mind may be, maybe she does have somewhat of a heart. "Okay, I'll do it… on one condition."

Jade's face hardened. "What?" she growled.

"You have to hold Rex."

"You're handing me over to the Wicked Witch of the West? I thought we were pals, Rob. Best buds!"

"One more word and I'll tear not just your arm off again but all of your limbs!" Jade threatened.

At that remark Rex instantly became quiet. "Fine. I've had enough torture tonight to last a lifetime. Why not add more?" Jade took Rex from Robbie and came really close to Robbie's face. "But you owe me big time."

She started to walk away. "Wait, Jade!"

Jade turned around and the nasty expression on her face made Robbie hesitate before asking. "Whatever happened with Doug?"

"Well, let's just say that he won't be showing his face around here anymore." Jade snickered and pulled a dirty, floppy diaper that looked very familiar out of nowhere. She chucked it into the trash can, kicked the can, and then walked away.

Robbie grimaced picturing a naked man roaming Hollywood Arts. What a disgusting mental picture that gave him.

He sauntered outside and spotted Cat and Tug talking near the parking lot. He started walking towards them but stopped when he realized that they weren't talking- they were kissing. Not just a little smooch either. Like full on making out.

Robbie just stared at them and then stormed out into the parking lot. He knew he should've known better than to trust Jade.

"Tug, stop it!" He turned around and saw that Cat had pushed Tug away. "I've already told you twice that we're over!"

"But baby, come on," Tug slurred and pulled Cat towards him. "Can't I get a little action first?"

"No!" Cat exclaimed, appalled at Tug's rude behavior. Robbie wanted so badly to go and punch him in the face, but he restrained himself. _Stick to the plan, just stick to the plan, _he calmed himself.

"Fine! I don't need you!" He pushed Cat away violently, causing her to almost lose her balance. "I hate red hair anyway. It reminds me of red velvet." He looked at her, grimaced, and then disappeared onto the dance floor.

Cat stared after him, frozen in place, and then just slid down against the wall and started crying.

Robbie took a deep breath. _Time for the doctor to take care of the patient _he thought. He went up to where she was sitting and sat next to her.

"Hey Kitty," he said softly, the same way he always did when she was this upset.

"Go away, I don't want to talk to anyone right now," she sobbed.

Robbie looked down at his lap. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, and I cannot tell you how sorry I am for not trusting you."

Cat didn't respond, so Robbie kept babbling. "I did at first, but then Rex convinced me that you were lying. I should've known better than to listen to him. He doesn't know you like I do."

Cat looked up at him, tears still running down her face in waterfalls. "And what do you know about me, Robbie? Do you think that I'm dumb and easy to take advantage of like Tug did?"

Robbie was taken aback. "No, not at all! You're sweet, kind, nice-"

"Hehe, those are all synonyms!"

Robbie laughed along with her, but inside his head he was searching for more specific words since apparently he was talking like a love-struck idiot (which he kind of was). "You're an amazing girl, Cat. You don't care what anyone thinks of you. You love to make people smile and you experience the world every day like it was your last. You're nonjudgmental, pure, insanely talented, breathtaking, and…."

_I'm in love with you._ The words almost toppled right out of his mouth. Thank god he caught himself before he did anything irrational "…Perfect. In my eyes, anyway."

Cat smiled and her eyes started to water again. But this time, the tears were of happiness. "Robbie… that's the sweetest thing anyone has said to me."

Robbie blushed. "Well, I'm glad that I was the one to say it, then." He took one of her small, dainty hands in his own. "Because you deserve to be appreciated once in a while."

Cat giggled. "Thanks." She bit her bottom lip and her eyes locked on his. Robbie couldn't hold himself back any longer and he started leaning his head towards hers. Cat closed her eyes and did the same thing. Their lips were merely inches away from each other when…

"Ow!" Robbie yelped and rubbed his head. He looked to his right and saw a big melon lying next to him. He looked up at the balcony above them. "Burf! Watch where you eat your melons!"

"Sorry!" Burf yelled back, reaching into a large sack and taking another one out. He took a huge bite of it before running away, hoping that Robbie wouldn't come after him.

"Are you okay, Robbie?" Cat asked, concerned. "What hit you?"

"This." Robbie showed her the melon. It had a huge chunk taken out of it.

Cat laughed. "It looks like a huge lemon with a head injury! One time my brother was juicing a lemon while dancing to some loud music. It was so loud that the chandelier in our kitchen fell on him."

"Was your brother all right?"

Cat thought for a second. "No..."

"Is he all right now?"

She paused again. "No… he's seriously messed up."

They sat in silence and Cat laid her head on Robbie's shoulder. "I'm tired and I don't have a ride home."

Robbie took a whiff of her cotton candy-scented shampoo before he responded. "Why don't you have a ride home?"

"Tug drove me here," Cat answered. Her face became downcast again at the very thought of the boy who had just broke her heart moments ago.

"Would you like me to take you home? The prome is winding down, anyway."

Cat absentmindedly ran her fingers down his thigh, probably pretending her fingers were a spider. Whatever she was doing, it was making him feel like jelly. She lifted her head back up and looked at him. "I would love that."

Robbie helped her up and they walked hand in hand to his car. Maybe Jade's plan did work after all.

* * *

_Awww isn't Robbie just the most awesome guy ever? If he just didn't have Rex, wasn't as insecure as they portray him on the show, and went to my school, I would probably like him lol. I must say I do love me some nerds… and no, I don't mean the candy ;)_

_I loved writing this chapter! I was fangirling as much as you guys probably are right now from reading it lol XD. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on this story, and I'm glad you all like it! Everyone who reviews will get a virtual red velvet cupcake from Cat herself! Actually, she told me her brother made them. Yeah… maybe I shouldn't then XD._


	6. Love stinks

_Oh my gosh today was my last day of school and I'm like so sad but so happy at the same time! I'm sad because I'm going to miss seeing my friends every day (my parents are absolutely crazy and way too overprotective, so it's nice to get a break from them once in a while) and I'm a senior this year. I'm going to be graduating high school in less than a year. I'm so scared! :O But I'm also happy because, duh, there's no more schoolwork and I have a job! Hurrah!_

_Anyway, I apologize in advance if this chapter's really bad. I have major writer's block right now and I didn't really have an idea in advance on how to write this chapter so… yeah. Just read it :P_

The ride to Cat's house was pretty quiet for the most part, aside from Rex's snide comments and Robbie apologizing for his behavior. Cat, as always, was forgiving of Rex's insults and did not say a mean word back to him the entire ride. She just gave Robbie a small sad smile, said "It's okay," and looked down at her lap most of the time. Once in a while, a few tears ran down her face, but she would quickly wipe them up and turn her head towards the window so Robbie couldn't see.

But Robbie wasn't stupid. He could see that Cat was still hurting. He wish he knew what had went on between her and Tug, but he decided to save it for when they arrived at her house, which was still a good twenty minutes away. Whenever he didn't have to pay too much attention to everything around him while he drove (such as stopping at a red light), he would just stare at Cat and about how beautiful she is.

He loved her red hair. It was just so bright and vibrant and loud- kind of like her personality. He remembered that Cat had thought about letting the color fade out and reverting her hair back to its natural chestnut hue. She thought that her hair made people look at her weirdly, like she had mental problems. However, Robbie and the others convinced her not to, thankfully. Robbie always thought that if she lost the red hair, _boom! _Her personality would disappear along with it. She wanted to be normal, but her hair symbolized that she was anything but normal. She was special; Robbie was sure of it.

Her pink dress sparkled under the street lights. Robbie couldn't help but notice it fit her perfectly, both inside and out. Her pink high heels accentuated her slender, toned legs and the pink brought out the color in her hair. And her eyes… my god, those eyes. Robbie could just stare into them all day if he had to. They were warm and sweet, like milk chocolate, and he felt like he would melt into them every time he gazed at her.

Sometimes, Cat noticed him staring at her. He would just blush and look away. He didn't want Cat to know about his crush on her. He didn't want to be rejected, like the rest of society has already done to him. His dad practically hated him for some unknown reason, and his mom rarely paid any attention to him either. Heck, she valued her silk scarves from Italy more than him!

Plus, he knew he was the outsider in his little group of friends. It was too obvious, the way they looked at him like he was some nut job all the time, the way they made fun of him about his awkwardness even though they always said it was a "joke." He knew better than that, and it depressed him to even think about more rejection, especially from a girl whom he cared about so very much. So he kept his mouth shut the whole ride there (except for Rex, of course) in fear that he'd screw something up if he did try and talk to her.

Cat's house wasn't very hard for him to find. He had driven past it many times before because it was on his way to his Mamaw's house. He pulled into the driveway and parked the car in front of the Valentine's garage.

Cat opened the door and slowly got out of the car. "Thanks for driving me," she said quietly and started to walk towards the front door.

"Wait!" Robbie called and caught up to her. "What happened with Tug? You never did tell me."

Cat was silent. She bit her bottom lip nervously and looked down at her shoes. Her reaction worried him. She usually gets over things pretty quickly. This must've been somewhat traumatic if she's really acting the way she is right now.

"Was it that bad?" Robbie asked her softly.

Cat looked at him and suddenly, he found himself being dragged over to the front door. Cat let go of his hand, sat down on the little step, and motioned for him to do the same. Robbie sat down beside her and waited for her to respond.

"He… was drunk," Cat whispered, then covered her mouth and gasped as if "drunk" was a bad word.

Robbie was stunned. "Really?" he said. "He seemed fine when I met him."

"No, he was drunk when he came." Cat put her head in her hands. "I just didn't realize it until after you left. He wasn't acting like himself."

"What is he usually like?" Robbie asked, hoping maybe her response would give him some indication as to what type of guy she liked.

"He was such a sweetheart," Cat sighed, wishing that the whole thing wasn't just an act. He seemed really nice at first… not to mention that he was also very cute and muscular. "We met at the mall and he took me out to dinner after his shift was over. We seemed to have a lot in common, but…" She trailed off and suddenly slapped the step angrily, making Robbie jump in surprise. "Oh my god, I was so stupid!"

"Cat, don't say that! You're not stupid," Robbie said and rubbed her leg, trying to console her. "Why would you think that? What happened?" He was growing more and more concerned for her sanity by the minute.

"His friend told me that he was just released from rehab after getting arrested for drunk driving. I was clueless and didn't pay attention to it because of the first impression he made on me."

Robbie looked at her in shock- this was the first time she had ever acknowledged her naïve behavior. Cat sniffled. "I thought he was… 'the One.' I don't know why I did, but it happened anyway and now look at me." She started tearing up again. "I'm a mess!"

Robbie looked down and saw tears sliding down Cat's hands and arms as she tried to muffle her sobs. He figured that he should try and calm her down before he talked again, so he wrapped his arms around her and said "Shh, it's okay" softly in her ear. She buried her head in his chest and stayed there for a little bit while Robbie hugged her and stroked her hair.

He acted like he knew what he was doing, but in all honesty, he really didn't. It's a good thing Cat couldn't read minds because this is what she would've read: "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I'm hugging a girl! And it's Cat! And she's not running away from me! I don't know what to do now! HELP!" He was just happy that he was the one Cat had chosen to lean on for comfort- it made him feel like he was worth something for once in his life.

Cat eventually stopped crying and looked up at him. "So what now?" Robbie said.

He stood up and offered Cat his hand. She took it and, with little help from Robbie, pulled herself off the step. "I should go inside- my mom's probably worried about me."

Right after she said that, they heard the sound of glass breaking. "Gary, did you really break the fish bowl again?" a woman's voice shouted.

"I'm sorry Mom, that fish stole my ball! I had to get my revenge," a young male voice shouted back.

Robbie looked back at Cat and smirked. "Looks like someone needs your help."

She sighed in exasperation. "It's not the first time he's done that. We've already gone through five fish. Why does he always think animals are human?"

_Cat's brother sure is crazy, _Robbie thought. "I don't know…" he trailed off awkwardly.

She smiled tiredly at him. "Well, I should go before he tries to eat the fish again. And Robbie…" She placed a long, gentle kiss on his cheek, and Robbie could not help but blush madly from the intimate act. "Thanks for everything."

Robbie smiled back, his cheeks still a subtle rosy color- and it definitely wasn't from the cold. "Anytime, Cat."

She squeezed his hand before walking through the door. Robbie left her house with his heart beating a thousand beats a minute. He could still feel the sticky imprint her lips had left on his cheek. If only her lips had been a couple inches closer to the right… He got butterflies just from thinking about what could have been.

He was definitely hooked on Cat now- there was no denying that. He just hoped that she wouldn't forget what happened between them like she did last time.


	7. One year later

_Well, I have some good news and some bad news for you guys._

_The good news is that this story is getting a lot of awesome reviews, which makes me soo happy! I'm so glad you all like this story because I've worked really hard on it and it's really nice when my work is appreciated by others :) Also, now that it's summertime, I'm going to be writing a lot more often, hopefully, because of all the free time I have._

_However, there is some bad news: This story is almost done. I only have about a chapter or two to go, sadly. Also, my other story isn't getting a lot of reviews for some reason. It's called Trapped: Dazed and Confused, if you haven't read it already. If you haven't read it yet, please read and review- I desperately need the reviews! Not because I want to be loved like most people, but because I really need to know what I have failed to explain in the plot and what points I have left unresolved. It will help me become a better writer if you do this for me! Thanks, that would help so much!_

_So I don't know if this is the last chapter or not. I guess we'll find out soon._

_Beep beep beep_

The endless ringing noise from his alarm clock blared in his ears. He slowly opened his eyes, wishing that today wasn't a school day. He yawned and groaned loudly as he sat up in his bed and stretched his arms. He got up, shut off his SpongeBob alarm clock, and went to wake his friend.

"Rex, wake up! We have to go to school today!" He shook the puppet's shoulder vigorously.

"No, I'm staying in bed!" Rex mumbled. "Damn you Robbie, you woke me up from a beautiful dream!"

"Let me guess, it was about Northridge girls."

"Oh Robbie, you know me so well!" Rex sang with biting sarcasm. "Now shut your yapping and let me sleep, I gotta get back to my girls!"

Within a couple of seconds, Rex was snoring really loudly. Robbie rolled his eyes and left Rex in his bed. He changed into a red-and-white striped polo shirt his mom had given him for Christmas and a pair of dark jeans. He slipped on a pair of black Nikes and went into the bathroom.

He splashed some cold water on his face and washed the sand out of his eyes; the icy temperature made him feel wide awake and more alert. He dried his face, carefully situated his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and started to comb through his curly black hair.

As he did so, he looked in the mirror- and reality hit him in the gut and left him gasping for air. He was a junior at Hollywood Arts. In less than a month, school would be out and he would be a senior. He couldn't believe how fast the year had flown by; it seemed like yesterday that he had asked Cat to Prome.

He examined the dark circles under his eyes and nostalgia started to rise in his chest. So much had changed in a year. He wished that he could go back in time and appreciate the moments last year where he had had less schoolwork and a good relationship with Cat.

But no, he can't, because everything just started spiraling downhill after Prome came to an end. The next day, Cat had completely forgotten about that special moment between the two of them and acted like nothing had happened at all. Jade had given Cat a bored look as she told the story about how her brother broke the fish bowl and tried to eat the fish. Once Cat was finished, however, she had raised her eyebrows questioningly at Robbie, as if to say _Why aren't you and Cat a couple yet? Why isn't she saying anything about Prome?_ Robbie had given her a disappointed look and shrugged his shoulders in defeat, like he was giving up.

As the year went by, he started to give up hope of him and Cat ever being a couple. Cat moved from one gorgeous boy to the next, thinking that he was "The One," as she now called it, and always got hurt in the end. And Robbie, being the loyal, caring friend he was, was always her shoulder (literally) that she leaned upon.

It was the same routine every time. She would cry into his shoulder, and he would rub her back and shoulders gently and whisper reassuring words in her ear. She would smile up at him, say thanks, kiss him on the cheek, then walk away. The next day, she would act like the breakup was no big deal and that she was perfectly fine. Somehow, she failed to see that the person who would never break her heart was right smack in front of her- and it depressed Robbie a lot.

He wondered how she could be so incredibly clueless sometimes. Did she really think that tall, muscular, handsome guys would care a damn about her constant fantasies of rainbows and unicorns and red velvet cupcakes like he did? All those douche bags ever cared about was getting her into bed with them. Of course Cat, being the innocent little angel she is, never went that far. She did the same thing to every one of them as she did with Tug a year ago- push them away and end the whole relationship in just two words: "We're done."

He didn't want to deal with all her heartbreaks anymore. He was tired of being her "fallback guy." So the next time another fiasco happened, when Cat got dumped by her beau of two weeks, Mr. Paul Simmons with the hard biceps and a skull tattoo on the back of his neck, he didn't answer her frantic texts and voicemails. Instead, he went over to Tori's house and watched movies with the rest of the gang, leaving his phone virtually untouched. He was officially done with Cat Valentine.

In order to heal his aching heart, he started looking at other potential crushes, mainly Trina and Tori. His interest in Trina ended before it could start, when she wouldn't help Robbie film his audition after he willingly helped her with her audition without pay. All she did was scream at him and threw his camera in his face, leaving him with a giant bruise on his cheek that didn't go away for days.

Tori was ultimately his bright light at the end of the tunnel. While he waited for Cat to change her attitude about guys, he focused on winning the heart of the youngest Vega sister. He couldn't help but be amazed by her perfection- the nicely shaped cheekbones, the pretty high notes that came out of her mouth when she sang, the way her hair bounced with each shape she took… she was breathtaking.

He dropped hints every time he was with her. He offered to be Tori's "boyfriend" on Sinjin's game show, he almost kissed her on April Fools' Day; he even wrote a song for her when Ponnie was driving her crazy! But nothing worked- Tori just thought he was a freak, just like everyone else did.

Last night had been a sleepless night for Robbie. He had a huge Physics test he had to ace today and had spent all of last night studying for it. Not only was he worried about getting a bad grade, but thoughts of the three girls (minus Jade) swirled around in his mind as he fell asleep and his subconscious stayed awake. In his first short dream, Trina had smacked him in the face with a frying pan. In his second dream, a little longer than the first one, Tori had taken him out to a fancy restaurant, then ended up getting angry and pushing him into a fountain because he couldn't pay the bill.

His last dream, however, was the icing on the cake. He and a certain little redhead had frolicked in fields made of candy canes and had eaten a picnic on top of a cotton candy cloud. He told her jokes, and she laughed like he was the funniest comedian to ever exist. Then, she gave him a long, passionate kiss, and they made out for at least an hour.

By the time Robbie woke up, he was certain about one thing- no matter how hard he tried to ward it off, his crush on Cat would never go away. He would just have to face the music and wait for who knows how long for Cat to realize who she really wanted to be with.

He sighed and set his troubled thoughts aside as the bristles on his toothbrush glided along the enamel on his teeth. He finished getting ready, ate a quick breakfast of a piece of buttered wheat toast and a small glass of orange juice, kissed his mom good-bye, and headed off to school.

Cat watched from behind her locker as Robbie walked into school, Rexless and whistling with a smile on his face. She wondered why he was in such a happy mood today and figured that it was because Rex wasn't there to constantly make fun of him.

Her palms got sweaty and her heart beat against her chest as she watched him put away his books and head to his first class. She missed him like crazy. Robbie barely talked to her anymore since her breakup with Paul.

Despite her ever-busy and mistake-riddled love life, Cat had matured over the past year. She still said random things at the worst times and told everyone stories about her crazy brother. However, she now knew what she wanted to do with her life- she wanted to be on Broadway. Instead of chatting on Splashface with Tori and Jade and writing in her diary like she used to do all the time, she started taking vocal lessons and dance classes. Her legs and arms were now tan and toned and she had also grown a few inches.

Like Robbie, she was getting tired of the heartbreak routine as well. She hated how all the boys she dated were always the same. What was it with good looks and bodies that always made guys so freaking cocky? They were always so possessive of her and took her for granted. She wanted to be treated normally for once, to be cared for like a girlfriend should be in a healthy relationship.

She wanted to go talk to him so badly, to figure out why he had been avoiding her for almost a month now, but she was scared. She didn't want him to become angrier with her than he already was. So she observed him from afar as he skipped happily to Sikowitz's class, which they had together anyway.

Today, Sikowitz put them in pairs and had them make up a scene in which a person got hurt and another person had to be the shoulder the person leaned on (ironic, right?). Cat was paired with Beck, Tori and Andre were paired together, Jade was out sick (again), and Robbie was paired with some other blond chick she didn't know- a "shrugger," as Tori had dubbed them, the people who did nothing but "react."

Cat and Beck had gone first. Beck had pretended to be recently dumped by his nasty girlfriend and Cat had been the one to console him. It was very dramatic and they got lots of applause at the end, which made Cat feel loved. Tori and Andre were next- Tori had gotten into a bad car accident and Andre was the brave firefighter that saved her. The scene was extremely intense and they were so good that they got whistles and hoots and hollers from the rest of the kids.

Then, it was Robbie and Veronica's turn. Veronica was an elderly woman trying to cross the street, and Robbie was helping her. He steadied her and made small talk with her as she wobbled across the street, helping her find her balance whenever she almost fell.

For the first time ever, Cat noticed every move Robbie made- the way he held Veronica as if she was a fine piece of china that had to be handled with an extraordinary amount of care; the soothing tone his voice had as he whispered words of encouragement in her ear; the way he supported her, physically and mentally, as they made their way down the imaginary street.

The scene was merely a minute or two long, but it had a lasting impact on Cat. Even though it only got a few measly claps from the other kids, she cheered loudly for Robbie in her mind- because at that moment, she realized something.

That girl used to be her. She used to be the girl Robbie held whenever she was down. She used to be the girl Robbie cared for the most. She used to be his special "little red thing," as he had once called her.

Tears came to her eyes as she realized how stupid she had been- she had never really "seen" him- all she had seen before was his nerdy appearance and his smart-ass sidekick Rex. She had neglected to see how nice Robbie was to her when the others weren't. She realized how cute he looked with his glasses all askew and his hair tousled everywhere. She didn't know what to think- she was just so confused. Was he just a friend- or something more?

The butterflies in her stomach gave a sudden impetus to her curiosity and she started to form a plan. She wanted to explore the connection she had with Robbie, even though it was currently a little more strained than usual.

By the end of the day, her plan was concocted. She happily chatted with Andre and Beck about how awesome it was that the 2nd annual Prome was coming up soon. Soon, however, the conversation moved into who was bringing who as a date. Since Beck and Jade were still broken up, Beck wasn't going this year and neither was Jade. Andre agreed to go with Tori because she wasn't in charge of handling the Prome planning this year.

"So who's your date to Prome?" Beck asked Cat after she told them that she was going.

Cat stole a quick glance at Robbie, who was playing with a Rubix cube he had just found in his locker. A sneaky smile blossomed upon her lips and her eyes twinkled with an excited anxiousness. "You'll find out soon."

_Sorry that the chapter didn't really have any action in it, but for all you know, the last chapter may be really awesome! At least you know how both Cat and Robbie feel about the whole thing now ;) What the heck is Cat up to? Find out in the next chapter- which will be the last. *Cue dramatic music and gasps of dismay.* Reviewssssssss! Pronto! Hahaha :D_


	8. Spin me around, make me crazier, crazier

_Hey everyone! I am very sad to say that this will be the last chapter of the story. I was thinking of dividing it into two chapters but for some unknown reason I decided to squeeze everything into one big, extremely long chapter instead. This one will most likely be like the last chapter- there will be very little dialogue (okay, I may have just lied, but whatever). However, it is different in that it will dwell over a long period of time instead of, say, 10-20 minutes like the other chapter did._

_After this story, I will finish my other Victorious story that I have mentioned before, and then I'm going to take a break from Fanfiction for a little while. But don't cry just yet, I'll be back soon! I will come back after I finish the novel I've been writing called "All Because of You." It's currently 12 chapters and 130 pages long and I just need to write the epilogue._

_I hope you guys enjoyed this story and I'm sorry if this chapter is a little rushed! _

The next day did not go so well for Robbie. Well, for one thing, remember that Physics test he studied all of that night for? He got a 75% on it, which ended up pulling his grade down to a B. He was usually an A+ student! He had never had this much trouble in a subject before_, _and this bad grade just made him regress into a somber mood the rest of the day.

Not only that, but he hadn't seen Cat all day. Even though they didn't talk anymore, they would still give each other nervous glances and then look away as if those glances would somehow prompt an awkward conversation with each other, which neither of them wanted at all.

Not that Robbie minded looking at Cat, anyway. He likes staring at pretty girls, especially Cat. She always wore the prettiest outfits that suited her personality and her figure perfectly. Today, he missed the way she would smile at everyone across the table and interrupt their banter with wild stories about adventures she had had recently with her brother.

Glum, tired, and out of breath, he trudged over to his locker to get his things. At this point in the afternoon, everyone was gone. He had to stay an hour after school so he could talk to his physics teacher about maybe doing some extra credit in order to make up for the bad grade he had received. The physics teacher had merely given him an irritated look, told him to try harder and ditch the puppet (at which Robbie replied defensively, "He is NOT a puppet!"), and returned to grading his work in silence.

_Let's see…_ he thought to himself. _What do I need to bring home with me today? Binder… check. Theater textbook… check. Homework… check. A box with a note on top… check. Wait, what?_

He plucked the medium-sized box off of his huge pile of books and examined it incredulously. What could this possibly be? He carefully removed the note, unfolded it, and read the neatly printed handwriting.

Dear Robbie,

Hiii! It's your secret admirer! Aren't secrets fun? I think so! Anyway, since you probably know who this is already because you're just that smart, I won't tell you my name. I just want to give you some presents to show you that I care about you. Now open the box and you'll find a bunch of goodies inside!

From, a mysterious stranger ;)

Robbie was stunned; he had never had a secret admirer before! It made his stomach burst into a million butterflies. He couldn't wait to see what was inside.

His hands trembled with excitement as he opened the package, which was wrapped in purple and blue tissue paper and had stickers all over it. He removed the masking tape with care and opened the box slowly, as if something was going to pop out at him any second. His eyes almost popped out of his head at the amount of "goodies" the mysterious box held.

He first pulled out a long, thin box and read the note on top of it. Favorite candy: Senior Mints

He chuckled happily and opened the box. He popped one into his mouth and drifted into a minty, chocolately bliss; he hadn't had one of these in what seemed like forever! He set them aside for later and reached in the box for his next gift. His hand landed on something soft and squishy. Favorite animal: Platypus.

He grinned and stared at the animal's beady eyes. Rex could sure use a buddy. Sure, he'll be mad at first, but he'll get used to it. He put it in his backpack along with the Senior Mints.

His smile just grew wider and wider as he went through each present one by one.

Favorite movie: Star Wars. A complete action figure kit of all the Star Wars characters.

Favorite TV Show: Danny Phantom. A boxed set of all three seasons.

Favorite instrument to play: Guitar. A box of shiny, new guitar picks.

Favorite teacher: Sikowitz. Robbie smirked as he pulled out a bobble head of Sikowitz with two large coconuts in his hands. Sinjin probably made it or something, like he had made a bobble head of himself once for Tori.

Soon enough, he reached the last present: And finally, your Favorite group of friends: Us :)

He pulled out a framed picture of the six of them at the beach after they had gotten stuck in Beck's RV. They were all in the water smiling at Trina and her camera as a huge wave had been sneaking up behind him. Robbie remembered that moment really well. The wave had crashed directly onto them, leaving them soaking wet and howling with laughter.

He was just about to throw away the box when he saw yet another note at the bottom of it. Now go into the Blackbox Theater for your last surprise. I guarantee you will not be expecting it.

He threw his belongings down at the foot of his locker and raced down the hallway to the theater. His heart pounded frantically in his chest and thoughts swirled around in his brain at lightning speed. Who could it possibly be? It was obviously someone very close to him and in their little group- which narrowed it down to Jade, Tori, and Cat.

He scratched Jade out immediately since he knew that she hated his guts- she had told him many times before. So it was between Tori and Cat… but Tori couldn't know this much about him, right? They've only hung out a few times, and they were usually for school-related purposes. So that left only one person… Cat.

_No way, _he thought. _She probably hates me for not coming to cheer her up when Paul dumped her. Is she teasing me?_

Before he could answer that thought, he arrived in the Theater. There, he saw a note taped in the middle of the stage floor. He picked it up and read it, and he almost fainted when he finished.

Hi Robbie,

I just wanted to say that I'm so, so sorry if I ever hurt you in any way. Whatever I did, I didn't mean it, honest to God! I've missed you, Robbie. I missed talking and joking around with you- I even miss Rex! Never thought that would happen, hehehe :)

I think the thing that I miss most is you holding me and telling me that everything would be okay. I miss when you used to hold me in your arms and wipe my tears away- it made me feel so special and loved. And watching you today in that scene (which you were really good in, by the way)… I realized something. I like you. A lot. As a friend or something more, I don't know yet, but I'm willing to figure it out if you are. And I know just the way to accomplish that :D Hehe, I love making people happy, especially you!

Please forgive me :(,

Cat

P.S.- Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you! Oopsie-daisies! Will you go to Prome with me? Pretty pretty please? I'm sorry I rejected you last year. Now, I realize it was a big mistake.

"Yes," he whispered, thinking that no one could hear him. This was the moment he had been waiting for this whole year- heck, his whole life, practically. Not only had Cat apologized for everything, but she liked him! Yes, him with the puppet and the glasses and the nerdy, insecure personality. "Yes, yes, yes!"

He heard someone giggle behind him. "Turn around," the same voice chirped.

And that he did. Standing at the door was, no surprise here, Cat.

"Will you?" she said, locking her eyes with his as she slowly walked towards him. "I really am sorry." A lone tear trickled down her cheek and Robbie wiped it away with his thumb.

"Of course I will, Cat." He gazed down at his Prome date and his heart skipped a beat- she looked beautiful as always; she was dressed in a purple tank top with denim shorts and matching purple Converses.

"Yay!" she squealed and gave him a hug. Robbie hugged her back, wishing that the bliss would never end.

"Well, what do you think?"

He opened his eyes as Cat came out of the dressing room. Dress shopping had made him tired. Walking around the mall just wasn't his thing. As much as he loved Cat, his feet were begging him to go home. He just wished that Cat would pick a dress already- they had already been to six stores!

However, he became wide awake as this thing of beauty stood in front of him. She had decided to go with a long dress this year instead of a short one. The red strapless dress hugged her upper body tightly while the bottom sprawled outwards at the legs as if she were a fairy princess. Diamond jewels in the shapes of leaves and branches wandered the top half of her dress and sparkled in the store lights. She giggled and twirled around in excitement, revealing a low cut back. It was mature yet it suited her so flawlessly that it was unbelievable.

Cat looked in the mirror and fell in love with the dress. It wasn't pink, but it was just as close, if not better. She felt amazing, like she and her dress were meant to be. It was just… perfect. Everything was perfect now.

She strutted over to Robbie and waited for his approval. He just gawked at her, totally at a loss for words. What did he possibly do to deserve a girl as beautiful as Cat?

"Wow… I-I…" he stuttered, scanning her up and down. "I think you look amazing."

"Thanks!" she exclaimed, and while he was still in his daze; Cat had changed out of the dress, paid $300 for it, and dragged Robbie over to the tie store so that he could by a matching tie and corsage.

It was a lot of money to pay for a dress. But it was worth it. Deep down inside, she knew it would be.

"Robbie! Look! Over there!" Cat tapped his shoulder excitedly and pointed to the center of the dance floor.

Robbie turned around and saw that she was looking at a clown on a unicycle juggling a bunch of brightly colored balls. He chuckled to himself; Jade must have screwed up the entertainment again before Prome had started.

"Aren't they so colorful?" Cat asked them. "It's like a spinning rainbow!" She giggled and shook her head ever so slightly. "Like Lucky Charms!"

"Yes, Cat, they're really pretty," he said patiently. He grasped her hand in his. "But not as pretty as you."

She glanced up at him and a small, shy smile appeared on her lips. "Robbie…"

She looked like she wanted to say more but she decided against it. It wasn't the right moment to tell him yet, but she knew. She would know when the right time would come; she just had to wait. "I'm having such a great time with you."

"Me too," Robbie said, giving her a small smile of his own.

It was true- they were having a great time. He had gone over to her house and, after many pictures taken by both sets of parents (Robbie's and Cat's parents), had picked her up in his car since he couldn't afford to pay for a limo. They had been laughing, dancing, eating, mingling, and just enjoying each other's presence the whole night. Over the past month, Robbie had forgotten what being close to Cat was like. This was definitely an improvement- maybe even a miracle (in his eyes).

They later joined Tori and Andre and they had a great time. Tori was wearing a short grey dress that had a cool top **(lol I didn't know how else to describe it, sorry!) **and a bottom with glittery silver roses, and Andre wore a matching sliver tie. After about a half hour of chatting and eating, Tori and Andre walked up to suggest a song. Only two minutes after they left, a slow song came on_._

_I've never gone with the wind  
Just let it flow  
Let it take me where it wants to go  
Till you open the door  
There's so much more  
I've never seen it before_

"Ooh, I love this song!" Cat said, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Well, in that case then…" Robbie stood up and offered his hand like a gentleman. "Would you like to dance?"

She giggled softly before taking his hand. "I'd love to."

_I was trying to fly  
But I couldn't find wings  
Then you came along  
And you changed everything_

He guided her to the middle of the dance floor and hesitated, not knowing what to do next. Cat gave him a sympathetic grin as she laced her hands on the back of his neck and he simultaneously put his hands on her waist.

"Robbie… I need to tell you something."

He snapped up from gazing down at her cherry red lips and blushed. "Go right ahead, I'm listening."

"Remember when I told you that I didn't know if I wanted to be just friends or something more?"

"Yeah…" He waited for her to go on.

Cat smiled and leaned her head against his chest. "I think I've made my decision."

_You lift my feet off the ground  
Spin me around  
You make me crazier, crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I  
I'm lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier,  
Crazier, crazier_

Before Robbie could ask her what her decision was, Cat heard the lyrics. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Would you do that to me?" And of course Robbie, eventually hearing the lyrics as well, did.

He wasn't the strongest man in the world, but Cat was so light that it was practically a joke. He picked her up and spun her around a couple of times, making Cat laugh hysterically. He put her down and, like the lyrics said, got lost in her eyes. It was like he was swimming in the milky chocolate that was the color of her eyes.

Before they knew what was going on, her lips were on his, and it was just the two of them in their own little world. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer, and as if they were cued by some imaginary force of nature, fireworks exploded over them. They broke away unwillingly, startled by the loud booming noises above them, and watched the fireworks as they sparkled in the sky.

It was so sappy and so incredibly cliché, and they knew it too… But right now, they didn't care. Not one bit.

Hand in hand, they walked up to her front door where everything had started just a year ago. Oh, how things can change so fast in just one year. They walked in complete silence, listening to the noises of nature around them, not wanting to spoil the calm atmosphere around them and the remarkable moment they were currently basking in.

When they reached the front door, Cat turned around and gave him her puppy dog look, not wanting him to go. She bit her bottom lip, and it was obvious what she wanted from him.

Without hesitation, Robbie kissed her with a confidence he never knew he had. She giggled against his lips and pulled away a little while later. He still wasn't good at the whole kissing thing yet. But that's okay- even though he wasn't experienced yet, he'll get there. She wanted to make this last as long as possible.

"Bye Robbie." And with one last squeeze of his hand, she walked into her house, letting the door close quietly behind her.

Robbie practically danced in joy back to his car. Once he got into the driver's seat, he licked his lips. _Mmm, cherry lip gloss._

He smiled to himself. He could get used to this.

One week later, they sat next to each other at the lunch table, secretly holding hands underneath it. They had just broken the news to everyone that they were dating.

Andre and Beck had just gaped at them with their mouths wide open while Tori and Jade had given them knowing smiles. "How did this happen?" Beck asked, breaking into a lopsided grin. Andre mimicked his expression soon after. They thought it was a little weird, but they were happy for the both of them. As long as Cat was happy, they were, too… and for Robbie, of course.

Cat looked down at her food shyly and laughed quietly. "We'll tell you someday." She looked at Robbie and winked at him. "For now, it's our little secret."

Jade smiled at the two of them. Of course, she was going to give Cat hell later for not telling her about this sooner, but she liked seeing Cat happy- even if it was with Robbie. Tori and Andre chose to tell them all about their decision to date also and the gang became immersed in an animated conversation.

At the end of the day, Robbie surprised Cat with a trip to the park. They got ice cream from the ice cream truck (rainbow sherbet for Cat, chocolate for Robbie) and sat down on a nearby bench.

After ten minutes of talking about Tori and Andre's new relationship and how amazing Prome was, Cat suddenly became silent.

"What's wrong?" Robbie asked, becoming worried over the change in her mood.

"Will we be together forever, Robbie? You know, like in the movies?" she asked quietly. She had never been in a relationship this serious before; not even her one with Daniel could compare to this. The connection between them was just so close, so secure… But it still made her question her decision- was she willing to let herself get hurt again?

As if Robbie had seen her flashback in her eyes, he planted a kiss on her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I hope so, Cat. I hope so. Look at me."

He turned her shoulders to face him, and Cat looked up while chewing on her plastic spoon. "I would never hurt you like all those other guys did. I promise."

His eyes stayed steadfast on hers, and she knew he wasn't lying. "Pinky swear?"

He chuckled and they crossed pinkies. "Pinky swear."

At that moment, Cat felt like she was flying on top of a cloud. She was safe, she was loved. She felt like no one could hurt her now. She had finally found "The One"- and she couldn't be happier.

_Hooray for magically cliché Cabbie fluff! Thanks for reading, guys! A couple of notes before I conclude: The song was Crazier by Taylor Swift. Here is the link to Cat's dress: . _

_And to Tori's: photos/o/368098-gabriella_silver_prom_ _

_Please review! And I will write more Cabbie stories in the future, I promise! Love you all X333_


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